Woman makes money by selling the free stuff her neighbours gave away, sparking debate

It is common for apartment dwellers to put up used stuff outside that they no longer need. Some people prefer such second-hand things, be it household items or furniture, instead of choosing to spend money on a brand-new one. In fact, people who ardently follow an eco-friendly lifestyle consciously opt for thrifting or taking advantage of free stuff that other people cast out. Andrea—who goes by @avocandreatoast on TikTok—goes one step ahead and sells the free furniture that her neighbors put up for those who may require it. In her TikTok video, she talks about how she sold it online for good money and the audience has diverse opinions over this.

At the beginning of the video, two pieces of wooden furniture, a desk and what appears to be a shelf, can be seen laid aside with a note that says "Free stuff." Mentioning her neighbors who have disposed of this stuff, Andrea said, "Someone in my apartment doesn't know what a Facebook Marketplace is. I keep seeing free stuff lying around." She then said that she took the two-shelved bookcase for herself and also shared that she found more items being given away for free rather than being sold online.

The next day, she saw a large L-shaped desk along with an artistic picture frame and said "I actually took the frame in front of it," and added, "I made a story because I was just shocked, like, how pretty the frame was and why they weren't even attempting to sell the desk on Facebook Marketplace." She then said, "And I got the genius idea to do it myself." Talking about how she sold the giant desk on Facebook Marketplace, she said, "I put it on for $20, got a million requests for it," and even shared the screenshot of her ad listing.

Her genius idea worked quite well as the desk was sold within the same day. "Someone came and picked it up within two hours," wrote Andrea posting this video with a proud caption that said, "Another day, another dollar." She wrote in the caption, "I don't know what I'd do without Facebook marketplace and I'm amazed that some people don't use it." While some users related to Andrea’s neighbors about giving away the used stuff, some shared Andrea’s interest in benefiting from the Facebook Marketplace.

One user @lostinthefolly commented, "I stopped selling stuff on FB marketplace because it’s such a hassle. 800 'Is this available?' messages and then 800 people ghosting. I have a life." @drinkthestink wrote, "Chicago alleys are goldmines for this sorta stuff. I found a free Segway electric scooter that’s worth like $500 and lots of art and furniture." @o.esp wrote, "I don’t have the time and patience so I get rid of them. I feel bad throwing them out so I leave them for others."

Though the views are divided on Andrea's video, people who actually don't want to deal with the nuisances of the Facebook marketplace need to know its tactics. In an earlier instance, Lauren Miller—who goes by @laurensmoneymindset on TikTok—shared tips on how to benefit from selling your old stuff on Facebook Marketplace. She says that posting on local groups within the zip code, providing clear descriptions of the items and using a male name for the listing can be effective. She also gave a complete no-go for dealing with payment modes other than cash, sharing personal contact information and holding the product for many days.